The Forsyte Saga: Series Two
March 2004 Reviewed by: Josh Barber Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Acorn Media continues to be one of the best sources for fine import TV on DVD. Dedicated to shining a light on creations that might not be seen otherwise, this small company has just added an impressive miniseries to its catalog: the concluding part of John Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga.

Galsworthy's trilogy is an examination of England's privileged class at the turn of the century: a long-winded look at repressed passions, duty, promises, and knowing (and keeping to) one's place in society. Not exactly what I'd look to for entertainment on a rainy afternoon, but the books are considered classics.

This miniseries is based on the final volume, To Let, and requires a lot of knowledge about the players going in: who fell in love with whom, whose father left what to whom in his will, which cousins can't stand one another, etc. It's all very complex and involved and, thankfully, Acorn has included "Cliffs Notes," a plain-text recounting of the first two novels' major events available on the first disc’s special features. Big kudos should go to Acorn for that idea.

Picking up where the last miniseries left off, we meet Jon and Fleur, the youngest representations of the two feuding sides of the Forsyte family. A quarrel of some sort between long-dead brothers has percolated down though the ages, so when -- in finest Montague and Capulet fashion -- the children meet and fall in love, their parents are furious and do everything in their power to keep the pair apart.

To Let is actually Series Two of The Forsyte Saga on DVD -- Series One, also available from Acorn, covered the first two books, stripping away flowery story elements to focus on the personal relationships and make viewers really care about the characters. The same holds true for Series Two; Fleur and Jon are the main focus, but the relations between Fleur’s father, Soames, and Jon's mother, Irene, cannot help coming out of the background as well. The piece really rests on the shoulders of the actors, and they carry it well.

Lee Williams plays young Jon Forsyte with a sort of wide-eyed, earnest amiability, if no real direction. He is fine in the role of the young lover, but not the strongest member of the cast. Gina McKee's Irene is a woman who has been through some hardships (including a marriage to Soames), and fears for the future of her son. She simmers with a faded light and aged pain that give her character great depth. Soames Forsyte is played by Damian Lewis, a man generally known more for his roles as a soldier than a Victorian gentleman. He makes Soames seem constantly at odds with the world, trying in vain to control the changes around him. Fleur is every bit her father's daughter, willing to do anything to get what she wants. Emma Malin brings a great deal of buoyancy to her role as the young girl, displaying an energetic verve that her father lacks.

The imagery of the film is rich and lush, presenting the verdant countryside and the gritty city streets with the same care. Acorn really delivers with the picture quality, which manages not to wash out in the bright sunshine, nor to lose itself in shadowy interiors. The sound is acceptable but not startlingly grand -- the voices are clear, and the few loud effects in the story are presented well.

Even counting the aforementioned backstory, the set is light on extras. The first disc offers a biography and bibliography for Galsworthy, a series of cast biographies, and a photo gallery. The main menus offer a bit of music and animation, showing improvement on Acorn's part; there is nothing stranger these days than a completely silent and static menu.

The Forsyte Saga: Series Two originally aired as four episodes, and that division is retained on the DVD. Two episodes are contained on each disc and the discs, each in its own plastic keep case, are paired in a cardboard box-set sleeve. I'm willing to concede that putting the series' entire four-hour running time on one disc may have diminished the quality of the picture and sound, but was there some reason that a single double-disc case could not be used?

While The Forsyte Saga probably won't win over anyone who hates period pieces, it will entertain fans of high-quality drama. As presented on this excellent two-disc set, the Forsyte family can now bicker eternally in splendid condition.

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